Joxter's Frozen Heart
by Pastel Prick
Summary: The Joxter has found himself in the gaze of The Lady of the Cold. Luckily, he seems to have survived it. Right?
1. A Fool's Walk Home

Why didn't he listen?

Why why why whywhywhywhywhy?!

It hurts...

He had been curious... Too curious. But was it really such a crime to want a glimpse of The Lady of the Cold?

Apparently yes. He had heard the warnings, of course. Heard that she could freeze someone to death with a glare. But he was careful. He could just pull his lovely red hat down in front of his eyes if it got dangerous. That had been his plan. It was fool-proof, he thought.

Though, unfortunately he was a bigger fool than his plan could fool-proof against.

So cold...

Stumbling through the heavy snow, clutching at his chest, he tried to find his way home. But there was a snowstorm roaring around him, and his vision was fading in and out. It was hard to walk. Hard to see.

And the pain. Oh god the pain! It was radiating out into his limbs and his head... Radiating from his heart... It was like it was going to burst. It was... Burning... No... Freezing... It was galloping, as if it was desperately fighting something off, or if it was just trying to keep his blood running so he wouldn't freeze to death.

Freeze... How had it even happened. He could barely remember... Everything was fine. He got close. He had his hat ready, and then... Two ice cold eyes...

He hadn't died... Right...? Was this death... Maybe it was... He could see... A light... It looked so warm... So close...

Struggling the last bit of the way, he saw the light was from windows in a house... His house... Mymble's house... Could it really be...? Was he safe...? With the hand that wasn't desperately clawing at his chest in agony, he reached for the door knob. His fingers were so stiff and his movements so trembling from the cold that he could barely grab hold of it, much less use it to open the door, but after fumbling for a bit and thinking that he would die here, right outside his home, the door opened.

An angry woman looked out at him.

She was so beautiful... Was it an angel...? "Joxter! What on earth do you think you're doing?! I've been worried sick, you idiot! Sneaking out like that! Do you realise...?" Mymble shouted, but then stopped, as her hands flew up to her mouth in horror, and she took a few steps back.

He was so pale... His skin was white, almost blue-ish, and his nose, usually bright red, HAD turned an icy blue. His teeth were chattering and he looked like he could barely walk. And his eyes... There was something about them... Something wrong...

The Joxter stumbled through the door, and over to Mymble, looking up at her. "M-m-m-my-mym..." He managed to stammer, before his body gave in, and he passed out in her arms.


	2. A Coldness

After getting over the initial shock and having made sure that he was breathing (he wasn't dead, thank the Booble) Mymble carried the Joxter upstairs and put him to bed.

It was strange carrying him like this... He would cling to her, usually, even if he was fast asleep, and lovingly nuzzle into her chest... But right now he was limp and completely motionless, except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and the occasional tremor going through his entire body, presumably from the cold.

Mymble carefully placed the Joxter in their shared bed, and looked at him for a few moments, before tucking him in as well. She brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead and tried to gently caress his cheek, but she quickly pulled her hand away again with a shiver. He was so dreadfully cold to the touch.

"... Dearest Joxter... What have you done...?" She asked, with a voice she tried to convince herself was simply trembling because of the cold.

She watched over him for a bit, before deciding to get some more blankets and a hot water bottle, to warm her frozen mumrik.

While she was gone, the Joxter began to stir. Not a lot. Just a twitch of a finger here, and a shudder there, as well as a slight furrowing of his brows. Movements one would make while having a dream.

Or perhaps a nightmare.

Poor Joxter was unfortunately experiencing the latter. He was back, walking in that seemingly endless desert of snow. Except this time there was no light. No matter how far he walked, he never reached home. Was he walking in circles? He had to. Perhaps if he walked back and retraced his steps...? His footprints could still be there...

He turned around, and he saw her.

The Lady of the Cold.

She was staring at him.

He couldn't move.

She got closer.

She had red eyes.

Dreadful eyes. Yet so pretty...

She reached a star-shaped appendage out towards his chest.

Why couldn't he move?!?

She was almost touching him, and...

The Mymble quickly ran back upstairs, as she heard a scream coming from the bedroom. As she opened the door, she could see Joxter in the bed, looking like he was fighting against the blanket she had wrapped around him, and quickly went to help him.

"Joxter? Joxter can you hear me?! Wake up!" She called, grabbing hold of his shoulders and shaking him a bit, trying to ignore how cold her hands were getting from doing this. "Please!"

His eyes suddenly sprung open, and they darted around in panic, before finally settling on the Mymble's face.

"Mymble...? Oh, Mymble, it's you," he said. "J-just you... I thought... Where am I...? Am I home...? Am I alive...?"

"Of course you are... Did you think you could just die from me, or something?"

The Joxter responded with a slight smile, though that seemed to fade as he leaned back again, to rest his head on a pillow.

"... I'm so cold... I... My chest feels strange..."

"You've just been outside too long, love... Stay there. Try to sleep some more... I'll get you some more blankets and a hot water bottle, and then I'm sure you'll feel better in no time..."

He nodded a bit, and quietly watched her leave. Perhaps she was right... Perhaps this would just pass once he rested a bit... Perhaps...

... He would love to believe that, but as he closed his eyes to get some more rest, a nagging, freezing feeling in his chest, was telling him that he probably shouldn't get his hopes up...


End file.
